Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 1995 - SECT 20

  (1)   This section applies only in a criminal proceeding for an indictable offence.

  (2)   The judge or any party (other than the prosecutor) may comment on a failure of the defendant to give evidence. However, unless the comment is made by another defendant in the proceeding, the comment must not suggest that the defendant failed to give evidence because the defendant had, or believed that he or she had, committed the offence concerned.

  (3)   The judge or any party (other than the prosecutor) may comment on a failure to give evidence by a person who, at the time of the failure, was:

  (a)   the defendant's spouse or   de   facto   partner; or

  (b)   a parent or child of the defendant.

  (4)   However, unless the comment is made by another defendant in the proceeding, a comment of a kind referred to in subsection   (3) must not suggest that the spouse,   de   facto   partner, parent or child failed to give evidence because:

  (a)   the defendant had committed the offence concerned; or

  (b)   the spouse,   de   facto   partner, parent or child believed that the defendant had committed the offence concerned.

  (5)   If:

  (a)   2 or more persons are being tried together for an indictable offence; and

  (b)   comment is made by any of those persons on the failure of any of those persons or of the spouse or   de   facto   partner, or a parent or child, of any of those persons to give evidence;

the judge may, in addition to commenting on the failure to give evidence, comment on any comment of a kind referred to in paragraph   (b).